Comorbidity
Comorbidity refers to when two or more disorders or medical conditions are present in one person. In psychology, it is very common to experience comorbidity.
This may be because one disorder can cause a manifestation of another (ex: using substances to cope for another disorder may cause a substance use disorder); some disorders share many symptoms so that a patient may meet the criteria for both disorders; or because many people with diagnosed disorders are in some type of treatment, which may lead to other diagnoses.
Comorbidity in disorders is a newer concept in psychology. Psychodynamic theory led psychologists to believe that there was one large problem people were working through, which is much easier to conceptualize than multiple interacting disorders.
Common Comorbidities
Borderline Personality Disorder
broad comorbidity
mood disorders
anxiety disorder
substance use disorder
other personality disorders
Autism spectrum disorder
epilepsy/seizures
sleep disorders
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
anxiety
depression
Eating disorders
anxiety disorders
mood disorders
substance abuse disorders
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
social phobia
impulse control
borderline personality disorder
substance abuse disorders
eating disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
mood disorders
anxiety
somatoform
hypochondriasis
body dysmorphia
impulse control
eating disorders
Narcissistic personality disorder
antisocial personality disorder
substance use disorder
borderline personality disorder
Just from these examples alone of common comorbidities, there is a lot of overlap in disorders. Also any disorder can interact with another disorder, so this is a non-exhaustive list. There is also a lot of comorbidity with medical and mental health disorders. This makes sense as having a physical limitation can cause mental strain.
Another big one is substance use disorders. In 2018, 9.2 million Americans had both a diagnosed mental illness and substance abuse disorder. This is likely because many people turn to substances to cope with their emotions or the dysfunction they feel.
Diagnosis and mental health disorders can be complicated and hard, so knowing how common it is to have more than one can help people process their ideas of themselves and their mental health.
If you are seeking treatment, try to inform your treatment provider of any diagnosis you have and be open to the idea that there is not just one problem; there may be multiple, for similar or different reasons. This can seem intimidating, but by acknowledging this, it will be easier to accept and do the work needed to feel better.
Citations
CHOP. (2017, June 30). Autism’s clinical companions: Frequent comorbidities with ASD. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. https://www.chop.edu/news/autism-s-clinical-companions-frequent-comorbidities-asd
Paris, J. (2017). Diagnosis. In Stepped Care for Borderline Personality Disorder (pp. 3–26). Academic Press.
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Comorbidity. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/comorbidity
